William Bramwell Sizer Diaries
April 1904

Milwaukee County Police Department

These diaries are a mixture of work and family affairs of William Bramwell Sizer. William was on the Milwaukee Police Department and a member of the Sherman Street Methodist Episcopal Church, later transferring their membership to Kingsley Methodist Episcopal Church and died in 1916. The diaries give a pretty good view of life in the years involved. The diaries were given to me for presentation on this site by family members see contributors page.

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APRIL 1904

4-1-1904
40 deg. W. Wind. Partly cloudy. Cool & pleasant. Reported at 5, 3rd & Hadley. 6 day men answered roll call. Stolzenfeld, Sizer, Miller, Smudde, Dettman & Marquardt. Capt. JL came in at 7:10. Daymen on wagon, Settgast, Bock, Boerner. Went to Sta. at 9:45. Got my check also Smudda's & Stolzenfeld's. Met Smudda, 21st & Center 11 AM. Went to Becks, left my check there to pay Bal. on note for $175.00.

4-2-1904
32 deg. NW wind. Cloudy. Cold. snow flurries at 6:30 AM. In court at 9 AM. in Meyer abandonment Case. Case cont. till May 2nd. 5:30, Called to 1131-19th St. Otto Ohrmund came home drunk. Took the axe and attempted to destroy the piano. I took the axe away & took him out of the house. Emil Kuneppel & Wm. Barth helped me. We laid him down on the St. (20th) & held him till the No. 5 Patrol Wagon. My first case at No. 5. Booked him for Drunk & Dis.

4-3-1904
24 deg. N Wind. Fair. Went to Kingsley Church at 6 AM with Minnie & Walter. Easter Sunday.

4-4-1904
24 deg. SW wind. Fair. Cold. Froze hard. 9 AM in court with Ohrmund. Pleaded guilty. Fined $5 & costs. Took him to Central Sta. Orders to be at Sta. at 6:30 PM.

4-5-1904
32 deg. SW wind. Partly cloudy. Cool & pleasant. Election day. Went to Polls at 34th & Wright Sts. at 5:45 AM. Delivered keys to voting machine to Geo. Mergner, Chairman.

4-6-1904
43 deg. SE wind. Cloudy. Very damp, wind changing to West at noon. Rose reelected 5,912 plurality. 10 Soc. Dem. Alderman. 4 Soc. Dem. Supervisors. 20th Wd. Seidel & Malnoski, 22nd Wd. Meyer & Nic Petersen.

4-7-1904
32 deg. Variable wind. Fair. Rising Temp. Foggy at 7 AM. Clearing PM. Sent in the last of Tax Money by Lieut. Joe. John Herling, 1702 Cherry St. 9th Ward. $1.98. Went to Becks 928 Teutonia, settled up acct. Paid bill & got Note & receipted bill for extras.

4-8-1904
40 deg. NE wind. Cloudy. Rain with some lightning & thunder commencing at 7:20 AM. Rained all forenoon. Wind changing to S. at noon.

4-9-1904
36 deg. NE wind. Cloudy. Rain & snow mixed. Rained all day. Miller under charges for physical disability. Mail at 1:45.

4-10-1904
32 deg. N Wind. Cloudy. Snow flurries this morn. Partly clearing at 8:45. Cold all day.

4-11-1904
32 deg. Southerly wind. Cloudy. Snow & rain. Clearing toward noon. PM, squally W wind. Our wedding anniversary. Mail at 1:45, Malewsky & Phil Siegl.

4-12-1904
30 deg. High NW wind. Fair. Cold raw wind. F.A. Miller has hearing today on chg's. preferred by Lieut J.K. at 5 PM. Stolzenfeld arrested Herman ( Tom) Gaulke onn Warr. Wm. Kelber somp. A&B.

4-13-1904
28 deg. NE wind. Fair, Cold. Rising temp. toward noon

4-14-1904
30 deg. NE wind. Cloudy. Cold. Snow flakes falling at 7 AM and again at 9 AM. Nauman abandonment case comes up this morn. In court at 9 AM. Nauman case continued till May 14th by Judge Tuerner. N. signed his own bond. Drill day:- Back to beat at 4:45. Went to Pautke's for No. 5 to put on helmet. but couldn't get one.

4-15-1904
34 deg. NE wind. Cloudy. Snowing: one inch of snow on ground at 7 AM. Clearing at 11:30 AM. Wind W. John Wantz came to our Sta. this AM. Travels Bernels beat in 13th ward. At noon- Wind changed to NE and began to snow & blow furiously. Temp 32 & growing colder.

4-16-1904
16 deg. NE wind. Fair. Cold. Froze very hard. Cold all day.

4-17-1904
28 deg. NW wind. Fair. White frost. Got $1.00 from Lieut Joe. for election dinner. Notified that on & after tomorrow my meal hour would be 12:30 to 1:30 PM. 11:30- called to Eng. 22. Found Wm. Klebsadel 720 Center St. there with a dog supposed to be mad. I shot dog & reported to the Dept.

4-18-1904
34 deg. Variable wind. Cloudy. Looks like rain. L. Gruehn complains of keys being stolen from 23rd & Burleigh. I found 8 keys among the boys in the neighborhood. PM.- 3:45, Orders to go to 30th & Center Sts. Man killed in sewer. Found Miller there who reported case. C.J. Crilley, contractor, laying sewer from Clark to Center St on 30th St. H. E. Murray, Inspector & foreman for C. Deceased (name unknown) was in the ditch working when the bank caved in & crushed his life out. Time 3:15 PM. Man 40 yrs, 5 ft. 8 in., light hair & mustache. Blue overalls & jacket. Supposed to be Polish.

4-19-1904
24 deg. N. wind. Fair. Cold. Cold all day. Went to 1721 Fond du Lac, Steckers, with Zillmers old violin. Concert at Kingsley this Eve.

4-20-1904
22 deg. NE wind. Partly cloudy. Very cold & damp air. Court order to bring Frank Secker to Juv. Court - 2 PM. Reported to Clerk of Juv. Court, Reichenbach that I could not find Secker. Drew for vacations. I drew May 28 to June 7 & traded with Stolzenfeld for Aug. 11th to 21st. Went to Juv. Court at 2 PM. Back on beat at 3:20 PM.

4-21-1904
27 deg. E wind. Fair. Warmer. Warmer. Drill day:- Back to beat at 4:45. Went to Sta. after drill. Traded vacations with Vogt. Got Sept. 10 to 20th.

4-22-1904
34 deg. E wind. Orders to be at Prize fight at Panorama at 7:30 PM. Home at 12 o'c. mid-night. Chicago Car Barn murderers, Niedermeier, Van Dine Jr.,, & Marx to be hung at 10 o'c today. Jake & Lois with Herbert & Dewey came this morn to attend State Epworth League.

4-23-1904
40 deg. Southerly wind. Partly cloudy. Heavy fog this morn. Clearing about 9 o'c. Very warm. Mail at 1:30 PM for Ald. Seidel & Malkowsky.

4-24-1904
56 deg. Variable wind. Cloudy. Warm rain, thundershowers during the night. Rain all morn. 9:50 wind changed to NE. Cool.

4-25-1904
36 deg. NE wind. Cloudy. Cold & damp. Sent from Sta. to 1911 Hadley St. Goehring on a tear. He wife said he was sleeping & we did not see him. Reported defective walks on 20th & 21st Sts.

4-26-1904
36 deg. NE wind. Fair. Chilly cold all day. Wrote up sidewalks on 22nd St. Will hand them in tomorrow.

4-27-1904
43 deg. Northerly wind. Fair. Cold & Chilly wind. Reported defective walks on 22nd St. this morn.

4-28-1904
40 deg. N wind. Fair. Warmer. Drill day:- Went to Sta. after drill. Back to beat at 4:40. Letter for Seidel. Worked in garden this morn. At noon Pd. North Ave. Fuel Co. $20.00 acct. Reported defective walks on Fond du Lac this morn. 11 AM- Met Wm. Burns a Chicago Copper looking for Mrs. McKevitt, 1003 21st. Ave.

4-29-1904
42 deg. N. wind. Fair. Warmer. Rep. caucus afternoon. Wrote up defective walks all PM.

4-30-1904
45 deg. NW wind. Fair. Warm & pleasant, 11 o'c wind changed to NE. Cooler. Ave. Min. Temp. for Mo. - 33 deg. Reported defective walks on Center St., Bismark St, 26th, 27th, & Hopkins Sts. Checks at 1:30. Reported defective sidewalks on 28th St. this PM.

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